NEW BRITAIN - Visitors on Saturday got their first chance to visit the New Britain Industrial Museum at its new location.

“We’re very happy to be more visible downtown,” said Randall Judd, chairman of the museum’s board of directors. “We’re hoping to bring more people in from the downtown area.”

The museum moved from the Central Connecticut State University ITBD building in July to make room for an expansion of the university. It had its formal grand reopening at 59 W. Main St. on Saturday, with city and state officials present.

“A lot of people with ties to New Britain who no longer live here visit the area,” Judd continued, saying the new location should help draw them in.

Judd also said Karen Hudkins, the museum’s director, who is leaving at year’s end for the New Britain Museum of American Art, has done a great job with the small space the museum has.

“We still need a bigger space,” Judd said. “We have a lot of things in storage.”

“This is a huge day for us,” Hudkins said. “This is a monumentous occasion. Now we can fully participate in the life downtown.”

New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart attended the grand reopening to express her optimism about the new location.

The new location, the mayor said, “in the heart of the downtown community is an incredible opportunity for the museum.”

Stewart added that the museum reopening is all part of the bigger plan to draw more people downtown to spend time there and use the CTfastrak bus line.

Justin Muszynski can be reached at 860-973-1809 or jmuszynski@bristolpress.com. Follow him on Twitter@muszynskiBP.